News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[AtD]

So the reversible lane on Hackney Rd idea has been thrown out by the sounds of it?

[Aidan]

So the reversible lane on Hackney Rd idea has been thrown out by the sounds of it?

Yes. I've seen a video of the Hackney Rd section. IIRC it's 2 lanes practically all the way. It's in the middle of the road, but for most of the length the road corridor won't need widening. An exception is where it crosses the Torrens, where it will take over one side of the road bridge and a new road bridge will be built beside it.

Southbound it ends short of Botanic Road and becomes a general traffic lane, so that right turning traffic can move to the right of the buses. At the intersection itself retains the configuration with a bus lane between the straight ahead and right turning lanes. I think the number of lanes is different, but it's a while since I've seen it so I may be wrong there.

[muzzamo]

I've seen a video of the Hackney Rd section.

Where?

[duke]

They should just make it a raised road through the parkland's or hugging the edge of hackney road along where all the car parks are.
No impact on traffic, in fact it would get the buses off hackney road and give buses fast access. They could go faster on the raised road than they could go along the ground with other cars and pedestrians.

[Aidan]

I've seen a video of the Hackney Rd section.

Where?

Sorry about the delay in replying - when you asked, I didn't remember where. But I do now:

'Twas at the August meeting of the Australian Electric Traction Association.

[AtD]

http://leader-messenger.whereilive.com. ... et-system/

New O-Bahn ticket system
COMMUTERS will be able to validate their tickets on the footpath to speed up boarding times as part of the State Government’s $61 million O-Bahn extension.

The concept designs for the O-Bahn extension are due to be presented to the Parliamentary Works Committee as early as this week ahead of construction starting mid-next year.

State Transport Department project executive Rod Hook said part of the proposal included widening footpaths to put in three or four “gated stations” in Grenfell and Currie streets where commuters could validate their tickets before moving into the waiting area to make bus-boarding times faster.

He said the same set-up could be installed at Paradise Interchange.

The O-Bahn works were set to include a bus lane in the middle of Hackney Rd and Dequetteville Tce, followed by a two-way lane along Rundle Rd, East Tce, Grenfell and Currie streets through to West Tce.

But Mr Hook said the bus lane down Grenfell and Currie streets would most likely be scrapped.

He said works would, instead, focus on increasing the efficiency of passenger loading to speed-up travelling time. The State Government announced the federally funded project last May but the designs have so far been kept under wraps.

Mr Hook said the government was negotiating with the Federal Government to “redistribute” some of the project funds along the O-Bahn line, including Paradise and Tea Tree Plaza interchanges.

Mr Hook said the dedicated bus lane on Hackney Rd would service city and south-bound buses to speed up the commute in morning traffic.

Transport Minister Patrick Conlon has said the O-Bahn extension will save “up to 10 minutes” travelling time. Mr Hook said the changes would make the trip “a few minutes” faster.

A Transport Department survey done last year showed up to 1756 plants could be cut down on the fringe of Hackney Rd and Rymill and Rundle parks in order to widen the road. It would not confirm how many trees would be affected until after the committee meeting.

[metro]

Huh? did i read that right they're proposing gated BUS stops, but not gated train stations?!

they've got it backwards, train stations should be gated, and bus stops should just be validate as you board. Not even Sydney has gated bus stops in the city, so why should Adelaide. Stupid if you ask me

Will this actually happen though? the O-bahn lanes were supposed to have started ages ago. I wish we knew why they scrapped the bus lanes in Currie and Grenfell, maybe they're going to make them 'bus-only' streets or maybe paint is too expensive, the former seems more likely but the latter would not surprise me in Adelaide.

[crawf]

Don't get your knickers in a knot, there has been no word on whether turnstiles will be introduced or not at train stations

P.S Take a chill pill

[Aidan]

Huh? did i read that right they're proposing gated BUS stops, but not gated train stations?!

they've got it backwards, train stations should be gated, and bus stops should just be validate as you board. Not even Sydney has gated bus stops in the city, so why should Adelaide. Stupid if you ask me

Actually the City O-bahn bus stops would benefit from being gated far more than the trains would. Because people board the buses through only one entrance, the buses take far longer to load than trains.

Gated bus stops work well in Curitiba (Brazil). We shouldn't have to wait for Sydney.

Will this actually happen though? the O-bahn lanes were supposed to have started ages ago. I wish we knew why they scrapped the bus lanes in Currie and Grenfell, maybe they're going to make them 'bus-only' streets or maybe paint is too expensive, the former seems more likely but the latter would not surprise me in Adelaide.

The need for car park access from Grenfell Street means it can't become a bus only street, especially since they've decided to pedestrianize Coromandel Place and Chesser Street. It might be because of this that they've decided to put bus lanes in the too hard basket.

[AtD]

I'm trying to picture how it would work. The Brazil system, as far as I'm aware, relies on standard lengths and heights of buses. Adelaide's fleet of varying lengths, mix of low floor and not, one door to three door and so on, would be a challenge. I hope non O-bahn buses are able to use the 'stations' as they make up the majority of buses on Grenfell Street.

I'm also disappointed that a bus lane on possibly the busiest street for buses is "too hard." Why should the tens of thousands of bus commuters be disadvantaged for the sake of a few hundred car parks?

[AtD]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/smartcard ... 5971158957

Smartcard plan takes swipe at O-Bahn queues
POLITICAL REPORTER, DANIEL WILLS From: The Advertiser December 15, 2010 12:01AM


SMARTCARD ticketing at bus stops on the upgraded O-Bahn route should cut boarding times and reduce queues.
New images of the $61 million project also show red asphalt bus-only lanes throughout the city, intended to allow easier access to pick-up spots.

So-called gated bus transit zones will be installed at sites on Grenfell and Currie streets, allowing commuters to swipe smartcards before getting on to the vehicle to speed up loading times.

Transport Minister Pat Conlon said the State Government would present plans for the overhaul to Parliament's Public Works Committee for approval next week.

Buses account for 12 per cent of traffic on Grenfell and Currie streets but serve 75 per cent of the people using the precinct, he said.

"Grenfell and Currie streets will be reinforced as Adelaide's major bus precinct focused on people and bus movements in balance with the needs of taxis, cars, cyclists, parking and access," Mr Conlon said.

"In its entirety, the upgrade of the O-Bahn will reduce peak time congestion and delays along these routes.

"A range of options have been investigated for the project that will minimise impacts on traffic, local road access, and the environment - in particular, the parklands and Botanic Gardens."

Mr Conlon said the project was part of a Federal Government-supported push to make Adelaide "a more sustainable, modern capital city". Latest designs for the O-Bahn and bus route upgrade also include:

BUS priority at traffic signals.

CLEAR separation from loading and parking zones.

INCREASED pedestrian access to and from all bus services in the CBD.

IMPROVED passenger information by provision of real-time information regarding bus movements.

Community consultation on the project begins early in the new year and work on the three-stage upgrade is expected to start in April.

Government figures show O-Bahn services are the most highly used in Adelaide's public transport network, used by more than 8 million commuters a year.

Mr Conlon said the smartcard system was expected to be introduced 2013.

Mr Conlon has previously promised the system would not suffer cost blowouts

The bus in the render is being blocked by left turning traffic. Not a good sign!

[crawf]

Excluding the fancy street upgrades (long overdue!), the whole road setup looks like it's still going to be a nightmare during peakhour. Bus lanes should not be axed at all!

BTW I would like to know how are they going to widen the footpath and keep the median strip

[Nort]

It would require lots of planning to work right, but I think that inevitably we will see (even if decades down the line) lots of Adelaide streets become one way, much like the Brisbane CBD.

[drwaddles]

I do not think so - the trend of carte-blanche one-way streets in CBDs has been reversing and many cities are reverting to two-way streets.

I sit on the fence somewhat as one-way streets do have negative impacts, such as encouraging higher speed and heavier traffic, as well as increasing unnecessary vehicle circulation through the CBD. However, on a typical city street of four-lane width, it is difficult to provide bus lanes as you have to remove all parking and also right-turns, as well as having your bus lane blocked by left turning vehicles. In a one-way street situation, you could have 1 bus lane, 1 parking lane (on the right hand side so as not to interfere with the bus lane) and 1 general traffic lane, with appropriately widened footpaths or indented bus bays as required.

[Alyx]

Apologies if this isn't new information. I hadn't noticed the page on the DTEI website before now.

The O-Bahn is the most highly patronised public transport corridor in the Adelaide metropolitan area, carrying more than 8 million customers per year.

Given the speed, efficiency and innovation of the O-Bahn guided track, it makes sense to clear the way for buses to travel efficiently to and from the city centre on road once the track ends at Hackney Road.

A range of options to deliver faster and more reliable access to the city has been investigated by a dedicated project team. The team has been working hard to find a balance between providing on-road bus priority that will operate in the future with the increase in services, whilst minimising impacts on access to local roads, vehicular traffic and the environment and, in particular, the parklands and Botanic Gardens.

The O-Bahn Upgrade project aims to ensure the O-Bahn remains an efficient, integrated and sustainable service that further encourages public transport usage along the O-Bahn corridor and into the city.

It will cater for the expansion of O-Bahn services and reinforce Currie and Grenfell Streets as one of Adelaide’s major bus precincts, further encouraging public transport use and associated urban renewal.

The project has been broken up into three stages to provide priority access for services:

Stage 1: Hackney Link - transition from guided track to Botanic Road along Hackney Road
Stage 2: Eastern City Access - taking bus services into the CBD using existing roads through the east parklands
Stage 3: City Precinct – operating buses in the CBD and addressing peak hour bus operations along Grenfell and Currie Streets.

1. Hackney link (Hackney Road)A Hackney Road concept image (for illustrative purposes only)

A central, one-way, dedicated inbound “Bus only” lane will be installed from near Richmond Street to join the existing bus lane that provides bus priority to the intersection of Hackney Road and North Terrace. This will increase the bus priority into the CBD.

This will enable buses to move past queued cars.. Modifications will also be made to the traffic lights at the North Terrace/Hackney Road intersection to further allow buses to move through with priority.

Detailed planning works have shown minimal travel time saving benefit with the provision of an outbound bus priority lane. This minor time saving does not justify the cost of road widening, a new bridge, vegetation removal, earthworks and the impact on the Adelaide Parklands.

2. Eastern City Access (East End and Parklands)

The Eastern City Access works will include dedicated on-road bus priority measures including sections of new bus lanes and the extension of existing bus lanes adjacent to the parklands on the existing roads.

In developing the preferred solution, consideration has been given to minimising the impact on the parklands, heritage properties and structures, car parking and access for local business. It also aims to maintain a consistent traffic flow and enhanced safety for general traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.

Download map of the Eastern City Access

3. City Precinct (Currie & Grenfell Streets)

The project will streamline and coordinate the large number of bus stops presently scattered along Currie and Grenfell Street into a series of “Bus Transit Zones”.

Grenfell and Currie Streets will be reinforced as one of Adelaide’s major bus precinct focussed on people and bus movements in balance with the needs of taxis, cars, cyclists and retail/commercial parking and access.

The precinct will be divided into Eastern, Western and Central Transit Zones and each will serve O-Bahn, East-West and Hills bus services.

Bus Transit Zones will complement the introduction of Adelaide’s brand new smartcard ticketing system currently under development.

More information: http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/inf ... ss_project